Paterson man in critical condition after pre-dawn shotgun attack

A 30-year-old man is in critical condition after being hit with shotgun pellets during a confrontation this morning, city police say.Star-Ledger file photo

PATERSON — A man was hit with a shotgun blast before dawn this morning during a confrontation, police said.

The 30-year-old man was in the area of Rosa Parks Boulevard and Hamilton Avenue when he was involved in the confrontation with an unidentified assailant, said Lt. Patrick Murray of the city police’s Cease-Fire Unit.

The man was hit by apparent shotgun pellets in the arms and torso, authorities said. He was rushed to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center by a private vehicle, and hospital staff reported the man’s wounds to the police, Murray said.

The man remains in critical but stable condition as of 9 a.m., Murray added.

An investigation is underway. Anyone with information about the attack is asked to call the Cease-Fire Unit at (973) 321-1342, or the Paterson anonymous tips line at (973) 523-TIPS.